re: The Purpose and Value of a 9x18 Pistol(Posted by hawkster on 2/1/13 at 12:15 pm to Cold Pizza)

I have considered buying one before for the nostalgia value, the old school design, etc. But I realize that I have better guns to shoot and carry, so I would probably use it rarely, and it would just add another caliber to the ammo that I need to keep stocked up on.

I think it was just the Soviet copy of .380, from a cartridge standpoint, and the overwhelming number of examples will be a PM "Makarov" model, which itself was the Soviet take on the Walther PP/PPK. I don't view the cartridge as being superior or inferior to .380.

I have a relatively early Big Bear copy, with adjustable sights, and my only complaint has been the spring (and Euro style magazine release) - and that may even been a fit and finish issue on the lower, as opposed to the spring itself. In field stripping, it seems like the spring always hangs up on disassembly, or, more commonly reassembly. The spring is "sprung" now because of that and I need a new one.

From a shooting standpoint, it is about 85% of the weapon the PPK is, while only about half the price. It is very durable, reliable and accurate.